Quote:
Originally posted by PeteBooth
Ok Finally to the point of all this - This might sound simple and rediculous but How should we manage a game? , especially if we want to advance.
I know we are going to have to make some tough calls out there, but at what point do we enforce vs. let go?
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Pete,
What you are talking about here is not just game management, as suggested by your title for this thread, but also encompasses umpire ethics. I don't know whether you read my 7-part series on that subject, in which I provided a number of practical benchmarks and logical reasons for enforcing specific rules one way at one level and another way or not at all at another. I also outlined the reasons why choosing to ignore some rules should be considered perfectly ethical practice in certain cases. If you haven't read the series I strongly commend it to you, if you need practical guidelines to help you to resolve issues such as these.
The thing that I believe many umpires may not be aware of is that their job entails much more than the "
conduct the game in accordance with these rules"(sic). Umpires also have a number of other competing tasks as well, including maintaining discipline and order on the playing field (aka game management), representing the interests of baseball and representing their league. It is not in the least bit unusual for these often competing responsibilities to come into conflict with one another. At such times, the umpire needs to make an ethical choice between enforcing the rules and any alternative requirement. When it comes to following a league directive rather than enforcing a rule, that choice is all but made for us most of the time. You do things your league's way or you don't work there. Simple. OTOH, there are occasions where the issues and choices are not so clear cut.
The examples you mentioned of not enforcing the
technical balk at certain levels, allowing the
neighbourhood play, and the so-called
phantom tag are just some of the many cases where the distinction between enforcing the rules, the need to maintain discipline and order, and representing the best interests of the game and the league all become intermingled and difficult to define. Sometimes you can resort to some catchy tenet to help you either justify or remember your choice, such as "
If in doubt, call 'em out", "
Ties go to the fielder" or "
Never make an unexpected call on a routine play". The bottom line is, though, that you are
making a choice between your competing responsibilities, and it is only to be hoped that the choice you finally make will be ethical, practical and maintain the balance of the game between offense and defense.
Cheers,